


Our Overflow of Love

by REMLS_rising



Category: The Shape of Water (2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:48:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28918599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/REMLS_rising/pseuds/REMLS_rising
Summary: In their little, happy world, the both of them find their hearts being filled ever more. Ingredients: Fluff, smut, world-shaking love ;)
Relationships: The Asset & Elisa Esposito, The Asset/Elisa Esposito
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Our Overflow of Love

The cleaning lady’s life had suddenly become a whole lot more interesting. Not that she wasn’t happy before; contentment could be found in the little things, and Elisa was a grateful and realistic woman. She was one who worked hard for her keep, saved some, and then spent the rest, be it shoes, records or clothes (it was shoes most of the time). But today? Today, Elisa was an excited, giddy lass, springing up even before her alarm went off, dashing to her bathroom and pressing her ear to the door. Instantly, she heard a wet, sloshing sound. Something had breached the surface of the tub, in wait of her. Elisa grinned, his sense of hearing was just too keen, and gently pushed the door open, sticking her head in, her messy, thick brown locks covering one side of her face.

He was watching her. Golden eyes calm, unblinking, the Asset’s webbed hands slowly clutched the edge of the tub. Elisa wasn’t even sure if he slept at all last night, she knew she couldn’t. She was lying awake on the couch for hours, trying to come to terms that her precious creature was safe and well in her apartment after her successful plan. The Asset let out a series of throaty clicks, a sound she had come to learn as a tone of curiosity. How she could understand him without words, she herself could never explain, but in her heart of hearts she knew it was the truth. Moving to sit on the edge of the tub, Elisa signed to him.

_“Good morning,”_

_“Hello Elisa,”_

The sight of his webbed hands signing so fluidly brought such joy to her. And unbeknownst to her, the sight of her being so close in front of him, brought great happiness to him as well. (But she had not yet learnt to read the different lights on his body, that knowledge would come soon to her, over the moments and days shared between the two) The Asset reached out and touched her robe, the thick, dark green wool feeling foreign in his fingers. Elisa smiled, ignoring the growing dampness seeping through the fabric.

 _“I have to go soon. Away, for a while,”_ She refrained from mentioning Occam. After their harrowing escape the previous day, she felt it was best if she didn’t remind him of that place again.

His claws suddenly tightened, the grip around her robe strong as a vice. Elisa raised her eyebrows as her face softened, trying to console his trepidation. But his eyes did not seem to show fear for himself, he was somehow worried about her being away from him.

_“No. Here, stay, here. Please, here.”_

Elisa felt her heartstrings being pulled at as his claws attempted to sign back to her. Breathing an internal sigh of relief, she was glad she didn’t mention that she was going back to Occam, the Asset would probably pull her into the tub with him, never letting her leave. Her heart jumped at the thought as she glanced down at the water. To join him in the bathtub was such a tempting idea…but then her nightgown would be soaked, unless of course, she was…Elisa smiled, her face deepening in color.

The Asset cocked his head, watching her pale cheeks flush pink. What an interesting creature, he thinks to himself. Her skin was the color of the pale stones in his river, but at any moment, they could turn the same shade as the lilies by the side of the waterfall, the flowers so beautiful he always stopped by to play with them. He let out a noise as she eventually got up, her robe slipping out of his fingers as she left the room. Emerging from the tub, the water sloshed all around him as he carefully stepped on the cold tiled floor.

Walking out of Elisa’s bathroom, giant footprints started to form on the carpet as he skulked over to her kitchenette. Elisa was boiling an extra huge bowl of eggs on the stove, trying to make up for her leaving him. He was going to have to get used to the fact that she would have to go to work on the weekdays, now more than ever her job was important, with a – dare she say it – man around. Caring for the Asset was not cheap, and Elisa was already prepared to clock in the extra hours if it could mean taking better care of her dear roommate.

She started her egg timer, noticing that she would have to speed up her baths now if she was going to shower at Giles’. Having her new roommate around would change a few things in her morning routine, but for him, she was gladly willing to accept all changes, even at the cost of her own pleasure. To her, his safety and wellbeing was her ultimate source of happiness.

Elisa hadn’t realized the Asset had come right up to her back, nosily checking what she was up to by peering over her head. Whirling around to get to the fridge, she slams against his hard chest, the impact almost making her drop Giles’ sandwich slices on the floor with a gasp. He instantly catches her in his large hands, and the feeling that passes between them was so beyond friendship that she averts her eyes from his with embarrassment, placing the bread on the counter carefully.

 _“Following me?”_ she signs, with a feigned annoyed expression.

_“Yes, like to look at Elisa,”_

Elisa hid her red face from him by pretending to be very busy rearranging her kitchen utensils.

 _“I'm making sandwiches; do you want to learn?”_ she signs, once she felt her face cool down. As she prepares his eggs and Giles’ breakfast, the Asset warbles and softly clicks as he watches the whole process, dipping his claw gingerly into the jam jar and examining the sticky purple substance on his talon.

 _“Sour,”_ Elisa signs, as she cuts Giles’ sandwiches into neat triangles.

The Asset licks the jam off his claw, and instantly recognizes the original taste of grapes. He brightens up, trilling at Elisa. If she loved this, he would bring her grapes every morning, from his homeland’s wilderness, where the bunches were so heavy with fresh fruit the branches weighed down. He would lift Elisa up high in his arms so she could reach up and pick them, enjoying them right from the trees. He wishes to tell her all of it, but he cannot find the words just yet. The Asset makes a mental note to ask her to teach him more signs, frustrated with his currently limited vocabulary.

Elisa enjoys his excited reaction. Scooping his boiled eggs into a large bowl, she presents the meal to him with a flourish. Hs eyes widen, and he makes the sign for egg with his fingers. Elisa nods in response, as the doorbell suddenly rang out. Her dear friend had come reporting for duty.

*

The Asset stands awkwardly by the couch as Elisa speaks with Giles. The old man’s words are foreign, but his tone is kind; and any friend of Elisa was a friend of his, too. He watches the man eat the grape-tasting meal Elisa prepared for him and feels a sudden burst of pride in his chest; maybe Elisa only prepared eggs for those most important to her? He regards her shyly, hoping it was so.

After hugging Giles goodbye as he sat at her dining table finishing his breakfast, Elisa gets ready to cross over to his apartment in order to get ready for work, trying to ignore the fact that she was already running a little late. She would just have to walk faster to the bus stop later, she decided, saying goodbye to the Asset was going to be an important part of her mornings. Approaching him with her shoe bag, work clothes and towel in hand, he seemed to realize she was getting ready to leave him, and he bowed his head slightly, his eyes slightly downcast.

Elisa took his hand and led him to the bathroom, where he had already placed his untouched bowl of eggs. She wanted him to get back into the water, to rest and eat and hopefully sleep more after his ordeal at the laboratory. Giles had already expressed his intentions to sketch him, his godly physique and otherworldly features proving to be a point of inspiration. Elisa was amused at the thought of Giles sketching a sleeping Asset lying half submerged in the bathtub, but as long as her friend was happy with his art.

 _“I’ll be back soon, see you later,”_ she signed. Gesturing to the eggs and the bath, she hoped to lift his spirits. _“Eat, rest,”_ she smiled.

 _“Will you be OK?”_ he signed.

Elisa nodded, knowing full well the fires they were constantly playing with; with interrogations at Occam being underway, Strickland’s evil intentions with her, Zelda who she had to protect should they all be found out, and she knew that in any other scenario, she would have just wanted to stay home to run away from it all; but Elisa had always been anything but a coward – the reality was already upon them, and she was here to protect those she loved with all she had.

She stood on her toes and threw her arms around the Asset, hugging him for the very first time. His body felt taut, muscular, yet relaxed in her hold, and as his natural moisture soaked her nightgown, his cold arms slowly came around her gently, learning and returning her gesture.

Elisa melted in his embrace, his sincerity making itself known despite his unfamiliarity with hugging. He held her close like he never wanted her to be apart from him, and Elisa had to wriggle a little to get him to let her go reluctantly. He snorted out his nostrils, giving an exasperated sigh at her picking up her things to leave, and Elisa was baffled momentarily at such a human display from him. Everyday, he was picking up more and more traits from her.

 _“Many fun things to do here,”_ she smiled, as the Asset walked her to the front door.

 _“There is music, there are pictures, there are eggs, also movies,”_ she signed cheerfully.

The Asset shook his head.

 _“No?”_ Elisa signed curiously.

_“I will think of Elisa,”_

Elisa turned away and fumbled with the locks on her door, feeling intensely silly as tears started to well up in her eyes; just what was happening to her emotions recently? She had better get a grip, why was she crying when he signed that to her?

As she turned around to face him one last time, she signed her final words to him as she closed the door and left for work.

_“I love you,”_

She hadn't yet taught him those signs before, but Elisa believed - from his actions alone; his care, his gaze - he had already known plenty about love without her needing to teach him.

**Author's Note:**

> Finally! Our Elisa and her Creature find themselves in a world of their own, where love (and other feelings, wink) are allowed to grow (and stand tall, wonk). A multi-chaptered tale that documents their days and moments, of a couple destined since the beginning of time, for each other till the end of days.  
> Please leave comments if you can! I would absolutely love to hear from all of you.


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